North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics

Articles by Journal: Texas Archaeological Society Bulletin

By Author's Name:

• Arnold, J. B., III (1974). A Magnetometer Survey of the 19th Century Steamboat Black Cloud. Texas Archaeological Society Bulletin 45:225-230.

• Arnold, J. B., III (1974). A Magnetometer Survey of the 19th Century Steamboat Black Cloud. Texas Archaeological Society Bulletin 45:225-230.

• Arnold, J. B., III (1974). A Magnetometer Survey of the 19th Century Steamboat Black Cloud. Texas Archaeological Society Bulletin 45:225-230.

The river steamboat "Black Cloud", also known as the "Black Crook", was one of two boats owned by Mr. Joseph Richardson which plied the Trinity River in the 1850s and 1860s. The identification of the site (41LB37) as the wreck of the "Black Cloud" was made by J. Frank Richardson, the owner's son, and other local residents. The size of the boat is estimated at about 150 x 45 feet. The "Black Cloud" hit a snag near the old Atascosita Road River Crossing and sank. This incident seems to have occurred between mid April and early May, 1869. The last advertisement for the"Black Cloud" in Galveston gave a departure date of March 30, 1869. These advertisements had been appearing at intervals indicating a round trip of approximately one month.

The wreck was hit during the laying of a pipeline in October and November, 1965, digging up what was apparently part of the vessel's stern. When the laying of another pipeline along the same route was imminent, the precise location of the boat had to be determined to avoid further damage. A magnetometer survey was carried out in early January, 1974, by the Texas Antiquities Committee and sponsored by the Natural Gas Pipeline Company.

The magnetic data indicate that the remains of the "Black Cloud" are fairly concentrated. A high reading of 540 gammas could possibly represent the boat's engine or boilers. The orientation of the wreck can be speculated upon since part of the stern wheel was reportedly among the artifacts plundered from the site in 1965. This fact in combination with the magnetic data indicates that the boat lay roughly parallel to the bank with the stern downstream to the south and the bow upstream to the north. An area of reduced magnetic distortion probably represents the part of the wreck disturbed by the laying of the pipeline. The survey also indicated that there is some widely scattered debirs downstream from the site concentrated in the part of the river adjacent to the western bank. Used with permission.